Natural Playground Equipment
Duncan & Grove is a leading manufacturer of natural playground equipment, specialising in high-quality timber play structures for parks, schools, housing developments, visitor attractions, and urban spaces. With over 13 years of experience delivering award-winning playgrounds, we are a trusted partner to landscape architects, developers, councils, and organisations around the world.
We offer a catalogue of over 400 timber playground products with more than 1,000 variations — from climbing frames and swings to fully bespoke playground designs tailored to your site. Every structure is manufactured in-house, including all steel components and rope nets, giving us full control over quality, customisation, and compliance. Built from FSC-certified tropical hardwood and robinia, our equipment is naturally durable, low maintenance, and chemical-free. All products are independently certified to BS EN 1176, ASTM, and CSA standards, and backed by some of the longest guarantees in the industry.
Choosing Duncan & Grove means working with a partner who understands the demands of public spaces, the expectations of design professionals, and the value of safety, durability, and responsive service. Our playgrounds are installed across the UK, Europe, North America, and beyond, with over 50% of our work going to export. We operate from our UK headquarters, with a design office in Hamilton, Canada, and a new manufacturing facility being established in Buffalo, New York — giving us the capacity to support large-scale projects with local production.
Playground Design & Build
We design, engineer, and manufacture bespoke natural playground equipment in collaboration with landscape architects, designers, and public bodies. Whether working from an idea sketch or a full design package, we provide certified, site-ready structures tailored to your brief, budget, and landscape.
Our in-house process covers feasibility, prototyping, fabrication, and installation support. With over 13 years’ experience, we’ve delivered custom playgrounds for iconic sites like Kew Gardens, Battersea Power Station, and the International Peace Garden.
Inclusive Playgrounds
We believe natural playgrounds should be open and accessible to everyone. Our timber play equipment includes inclusive features such as wide decks, ground-level activities, sensory elements, and accessible roundabouts — and our bespoke service allows further customisation to meet the needs of your site and community.
Inclusive design is now a standard requirement in many public projects — and we’re here to help you meet and exceed those expectations.
Play Safety
All Duncan & Grove playground equipment is independently certified to BS EN 1176, ASTM F1487, and CSA Z614 safety standards. From structural integrity and fall zones to anti-entrapment detailing and material safety, every design is engineered with public safety in mind.
Our team works closely with independent play inspectors, safety auditors, and local authorities to support smooth approvals and long-term compliance.
Sustainability
Choosing sustainable timber is one of the most effective ways to protect the rainforest. Our natural playground equipment is built to last over 30 years and uses only FSC-certified hardwoods sourced from responsibly managed forests. By creating long-term value for the forest, certified forestry prevents land from being cleared for mining, agriculture, or illegal logging. When you choose Duncan & Grove, you’re not just building better playgrounds — you’re supporting the future of the rainforest and the communities that depend on it.
Materials
We build our natural playground equipment to exceed a 30-year life span, using only FSC-certified hardwoods and high-performance materials engineered for durability, safety, and minimal maintenance.
FSC-Certified Tropical Hardwoods
We use dense tropical hardwoods like Ekki (Azobé) and Bilinga — known for their incredible strength, resistance to rot, and performance in harsh outdoor environments. Commonly used in marine construction, Ekki offers exceptional structural integrity even in ground or water contact. Bilinga provides similar durability with a slightly lighter tone and excellent resistance to fungi and insects. Neither timber requires chemical treatment, ensuring a natural, child-safe finish and significantly reducing lifecycle costs.
FSC-Certified Robinia Hardwood
We also offer structures made from Robinia, a durable European hardwood suited to organic, sculptural forms. All Robinia components undergo a five-step treatment process including debarking, air drying, knot removal, and stainless steel cross-bolting — ensuring long-term stability and reduced splitting or cracking over time.
Stainless Steel
We use 304-grade stainless steel as standard, with 316-grade options for marine or corrosive environments. If requested our timber posts are elevated off the ground on hot dip galvanised mild steel footings to prevent decay.
Ropes & Nets
Manufacturing
All of our natural playground equipment is manufactured in-house, giving us complete control over quality, detail, and compliance. Our production facilities are located in the UK near Gatwick Airport and in Buffalo, New York — allowing us to serve both European and North American projects efficiently.
We fully assemble every piece of equipment at our manufacturing facility before shipping. This enables us to carry out thorough quality checks and ensure full compliance with relevant play safety standards prior to delivery. It also ensures a smoother and faster installation process on site.
We combine modern CNC manufacturing with traditional hand-finishing to deliver architectural-grade results across three core disciplines:
Carpentry & Woodworking
Our timber elements are shaped using precision CNC cutting and brought to life by skilled craftspeople with years of joinery experience. Every beam, joint, and edge is hand-finished to enhance the natural beauty and durability of the material.
Steel Fabrication
We fabricate all our steel components in-house using advanced machinery including laser cutters, section rollers, CNC press brakes, and MIG/TIG welding. This allows us to deliver custom stainless steel details with tight tolerances and a high-end architectural finish.
Rope & Net Making
Unlike most suppliers, we produce our net systems in-house. Each rope element is crafted from wire-reinforced braided nylon and secured with aluminium ferrules and stainless steel fixings. The result is a custom-made net that’s strong, flexible, vandal-resistant, and tailored to the specific geometry of the product — enhancing safety, performance, and longevity.
This end-to-end manufacturing approach ensures every playground we deliver meets the highest standards of craftsmanship, safety, and design integrity.
Delivery
We ship our playground equipment as fully assembled as possible to reduce the amount of installation work required on site. This approach makes it easier for groundwork and landscaping contractors to install the equipment themselves, saving time and cost during construction.
With experience delivering playgrounds around the world — from Europe and North America to as far as Tasmania — we understand the logistics of international freight and packaging. Our team ensures every shipment is carefully prepared, protected, and documented for smooth delivery and assembly wherever your project is located.
Installation
Our equipment is designed to be straightforward and efficient to install. Because we ship products as fully assembled as possible, the foundation work can be excavated in advance of delivery — allowing most equipment to be lifted into place with minimal on-site construction. Any remaining components, such as rope nets or attachments, can then be secured quickly and easily.
We provide detailed installation instructions and are happy to send an experienced installer to support your team as needed. Alternatively, we can coordinate installation through one of our trusted professional partners who have extensive experience fitting Duncan & Grove playgrounds.
Warranty
We stand behind every product we make. From planning to post-installation, we support our clients with transparent communication, responsive service, and industry-leading warranties.
If you ever need advice, maintenance guidance, or replacement parts — we’re here to help, long after your playground is in use.
